The new Volkswagen: electric and fully connected

During the company's keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Tuesday night, Volkswagen passenger cars chairman Dr. Herbert Diess revealed what he called the new Volkswagen.

The brand is pivoting toward a new focus on "electric mobility, fully connected cars, and a new driver experience," Diess announced.

To start, Diess introduced two new vehicles — the BUDD-e Concept and the e-Golf Touch.

Here's the BUDD-e concept:

The VW BUDD-e concept is a throwback to Volkswagen's classic Microbus — the quirky, tube-shaped van that became an icon in the 1960s and 1970s.

For decades, the old Microbus was a well-loved staple in the Volkswagen herd, and it has taken many iterations during its more than half-century in existence.

A 1966 VW Microbus. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis It's clear that Volkswagen wanted to evoke the icon with the BUDD-e concept.

The new example is a zero-emission, battery-powered vehicle, boasting up to 373 miles of range on a full charge, according to Volkswagen.

The Volkswagen BUDD-e concept. Volkswagen Following in the steps of a handful of tech companies and automakers at CES, Volkswagen announced plans to develop a new suite of connected technology that will make its coming vehicles more intuitive.

The VW BUDD-e concept interior. Volkswagen The BUDD-e concept, for example, features interfaces that are controlled with simple hand gestures, and it offers connectivity that links to your other smart devices between the car and the home.

The big story here is that Volkswagen is going full-bore into the world of electric vehicles. The BUDD-e is built on Volkswagen's new EV-dedicated modular electric MEB architecture. The platform will be exclusive to Volkswagen's electric vehicles.

The underpinnings of the Volkswagen BUDD-e concept. Volkswagen According to a statement from Volkswagen, the platform will give its electric cars mileage "on par with today's gasoline-powered cars by the end of the decade."

Long-range electric vehicles are one of the lofty benchmarks required to help EVs compete with the gas-powered vehicles that easily dominate market. EVs currently make up only about 1% of vehicles.

Volkswagen diesels are shown behind a security fence on a storage lot near a VW dealership on September 23 in Salt Lake City. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer These latest moves signal Volkswagen's attempt to turn the page on its massive emissions scandal that dominated headlines last year and subjected millions of affected vehicles to worldwide scrutiny.

Beyond all of the excitement of Volkswagen's new products, Diess reiterated that the "most important goal for 2016 is to solve the emissions issue in the US."